Towson residents who have long complained about college parties with blaring music and revelers urinating in bushes and vomiting on sidewalks are heralding a new proposal to levy fines against those who host raucous parties — and, more controversially, the landlords who rent to them.

Legislation proposed by Baltimore County Councilman David Marks is aimed squarely at incidents involving Towson University students who rent private homes off-campus.

“I’m hoping it will have a deterrent effect,” said Marks, a Republican whose district includes Towson. “If landlords are managing their properties and renters are behaving appropriately, then the police will never be called and these sanctions will never be used.”

For landlords, penalties in Marks’ bill start with a warning, escalate to fines from $500 to $1,000 and could lead to revocation of a rental license after three or more offenses. For party hosts, penalties start with a $500 fine and 20 hours of community service and increase for subsequent violations.

Landlords are vowing to fight the bill, saying they can’t always control the behavior of renters and that county officials and police already have plenty of tools to keep the peace — but aren’t using them.

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